newgazzi Vol 01

Well here it is ... the first installment of newgazzi !  My monthly playlist featuring all new music, the kind of music I would feature if I owned my own radio station.

1.  "Alleywall" by Gary Banach (from the LP "Aries")

One half of the Dynamic Duos (along with Joey Gleesing), and guitar player for another band that will be featured later, KatieBeth, Gary released his first LP in 2012, "Aries".

Learn how to make a free Electronic Press Kit

2.  "Here We Go" by Emily Forst (from the LP "Here We Go")

I dare you not to love this song.  And if you do, go check Emily out on Friday March 8th at 9:00pm at Linneman's (1001 E Locust St in Milwaukee)

3.  "Breakers" by Local Natives (from the LP "Hummingbird")

A new band, to me, that I discovered by reading a review.

4.  "We the Common" by Thao & the Get Down Stay Down (from the LP "We the Common")

One of my current favorite vocalists, Thao Nguyen.  This is the single from her latest album.

5.  "Dang You Pretty" by Harry Connick Jr (from the LP "Smokey Mary")

Just to be clear, this is a blog that features new music, not necessarily new artists.  If you're a fan of Connick's funk era ("She", "Star Turtle"), you'll like his new LP "Smokey Mary".  This is my favorite from the new record.

6.  "Everybody Knows" by The Stone Foxes (from the LP "Small Fires")

7.  "A New Life" by Jim James (from the LP "Regions of Light and Sound of God")

This is the guy from My Morning Jacket and Monsters of Folk.  First solo record.  Another one of my favorite vocalists these days ...

8.  "My Number" by Foals (from the LP "Holy Fire")

Tuesday is my favorite weekday.  The day I get home from work, make myself a water (you know, with those fun-flavored packets) and check out what's new on iTunes.  Discovered this about a week ago.

9.  "Holding on to You" by Twenty One Pilots (from the LP "Vessel")

I can't take credit for this observation, but I agree with it.  The vocalist kind of sounds like Aziz Ansari.

10.  "Hometown Hero" by Andy Shauf (from the LP "The Bearer of Bad News")

His first LP, "Darker Days" is awesome, and the new one is even better.  Take a moment and sample each track on iTunes.  I think you'll become an instant fan.

11.  "Back to the Barracks" by Nataly Dawn (from the LP "How I Knew Her")

Right now, my favorite vocalist on earth.  I'm gonna see her on March 21st in Madison, and you simply must check out her music.  You MUST !

Nataly Dawn | Back To The Barracks (Acoustic) from Chewed Media on Vimeo.


12.  "Two Times a Maybe" by Stubborn Heart (from the LP "Stubborn Heart")

A lot of what I enjoy about those Tuesday nights is sampling artists that I've never heard of, and finding something unique to anything else I've heard recently.  This is the best example of that.

13.  "Love to Get Used" by Matt Pond (from the LP "The Lives Inside the Lines in Your Hand")

Early favorite for record of the year, 2013.  There's a lot of 2013 left, though, but still, good listen.

14.  "The Wine We Drink" by Drew Holcomb & the Neighbors (from the LP "Good Light")

The folks at iTunes tell me that this is the song I've listened to the most in this collection of nuggets.

15.  "Irony is Not a Type of Metal" by James Tristan Redding  (Single)

Saving the best for last.  One of my favorite songwriters, this is his first video, but I implore you to check out the rest of what James is up to at jamestristanredding@bandcamp.com.  Do it NOW!

BONUS TRACK !!  "That Ain't Love" by KatieBeth (from the LP "Here I Am")






Thanks for checking out my playlist!  I'll see you next month !

newgazzi

My new monthly playlist will be called newgazzi, and it is coming on Tuesday night, Feb 26th.  Look for it on the last Tuesday of every month.  15 songs for your listening pleasure, featuring all new music, which will focus heavily on all the great music we can't / don't hear on the radio.   Check back on Tuesday !

A Day of Closure

In October of 1995, my mom called me at work and told me that she heard the Cleveland Browns were moving to Baltimore and becoming the Baltimore Browns.  I immediately laughed, and tried to explain that the Browns have one of the best fan bases in all of sports, and that it could and never will happen.

Six weeks later, Mike Moser and I were in Cleveland for the first Browns game in Cleveland after it was made official.  This was my first Browns game, and sadly, I thought it was my last.  The Packers beat the Browns on that day ...

It would have been strange for me to root against the Baltimore Browns, and that's why I was relieved that they became the Baltimore Ravens.  It would be very easy to root against the Baltimore Ravens.

And I've been rooting against them ever since.  That ends today.

It's been 17 years.  It's time to let go of those feelings.  The Browns are back in Cleveland, and with Art Modell passing away in September, it's time to let go ...

As I get older, my focus has turned to the people that play and coach in these games, and not the clothes they wear.  

I'm rooting for the Ravens today.  I'm rooting for Torrey Smith and his family.  I'm rooting for John Harbaugh.  I'm rooting for Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.  I'm rooting for Joe Flacco.  I'm rooting for Ray Rice.  I'm rooting for Jim Caldwell.

... and I can't wait to celebrate an AFC championship win for the Browns in Cleveland.  One day.